Chapter Twenty
Alex watched Helen leave with mixed emotions.
Part of him wanted to pick her up and run back to the house with her, locking her in a room where he could keep her safe forever, but he knew he couldn’t do that to her. She was an independent woman and clipping her wings, even for her own protection, would kill that spirit which he so admired. As much as he didn’t want her to go, he accepted her need for solitude.
Besides, she would probably be safe for a while. Whoever had orchestrated the accident would need time to regroup before trying again.
Instead he headed back to the tack room. He thanked Cassandra for her help and asked one of the grooms to see her back to the house, then he turned his attention to the head groom.
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure, Sir. I sent some men up there but I stayed with the ladies.”
“Then let’s see what they found.” Alex said, striding from the room.
The stables had been built and added to over many years. What had originally been a single row of stables, was now a two storied square with an internal courtyard. The façade had also been altered, so that each new section matched the old, or the old made to look like the new additions. It was only inside that the disparity in building became apparent. The top floor was a collection of differently sized rooms with little cohesiveness to them. Some rooms had corridors outside them, others had no hallways and each room led into the next. Some had been built for storage, others to house the grooms.
Alex and the groom headed up the narrow staircase to the upper floor and made their way to the rooms above the archway. They were full of boxes, trunks, old tack, blankets and other miscellaneous equipment, so much so that there wasn’t much room to pick a path through them.
There were no windows close to the coat of arms but from the windows in the rooms either side, men were hanging out, trying to see what had happened. One stepped aside as Alex entered and he made his way to the window and looked out, to see another groom clinging onto the brick ledge where the coat of arms had been affixed.
“Did you find anything?” Alex called.
“There’s an’ ‘ole.”
“A hole?”
The groom pointed to the wall, so Alex manoeuvred around the items in storage and into the room next door. This room didn’t have any windows on the outer facing wall, only on the courtyard side, so the light wasn’t great. The grooms were currently moving the trunks by the outside wall, stacking them higher to make some space.
As Alex got closer, he could see a hand sticking through the wall, the fingers wiggling to draw attention to itself.
One of the grooms stopped what he was doing and turned to Alex.
“Looks like ‘e chipped a few bricks out ‘ere,” he explained, then pointed to a bolt hole that went through the wall above the missing bricks. The large nut lay on the floor a few feet away. “This ‘ole looks to be right behind where the crest would ‘ave been. We also found this.” He brandished a hoe. “My guess would be that once he undid the nut, he pushed this through the missing bricks and used it to pry the crest off the wall.” He demonstrated the action as he spoke.
“But how would he know when someone was coming?” Alex wondered. The lack of windows would surely hinder any murder plot.
The groom pointed a little way down the wall, where a thin shaft of sunlight came through some more missing bricks, and fell onto a stack of trunks.
“Looks like he piled those trunks so he wouldn’t be visible to anyone passin’. They was piled up a few feet away from the wall when we got up here.”
There was perhaps two feet between the wall and the pile of trunks, just enough space for a person to hide. This had clearly been planned for a while, as it would take time to chip away at the bricks. Probably a few hours, at least. Then how long had he waited up here? Did he know when Helen would be coming? Alex couldn’t recall Helen telling him that she was going riding today but it would be easy enough to ask among the servants and find out when she called for Bessie to help her change.
The very idea of someone in his house plotting and scheming to kill Helen turned his blood cold.
“Did no one see anyone leaving this room, or the stable block?”
“We checked on the ladies first. By the time we got up here, ‘e was long gone.”
“You didn’t see anyone on the stairs, perhaps a member of the family?”
“No, but we came up the front stairs; he could ‘ave slipped out one of the back staircases while everyone was heading to the front.”
The grooms and groundskeepers, who had heard the commotion, would have made their way to the stable arch first and made sure the women were safe, then by the time they made their way to the first floor, whoever did this would’ve had ample time to slip away. Which was the problem when a building was built at so many different times; it almost became a warren of passageways.
Not to mention that they probably didn’t suspect foul play, they just came up here to see what had happened, so once they knew the women were safe, they wouldn’t feel the need to rush.
“Did you find anything up here?”
“Just this.” The groom handed Alex an old, dirty handkerchief, monogrammed with the initials A.C. His initials.
Someone clearly wanted Alex to take the blame for this. He looked around a little longer but couldn’t see anything that might be helpful in determining who had done this.
“Keep clearing the boxes out of the way and if you find anything suspicious, let me know.” Alex left.
He could feel the eyes of the grooms on him as he walked away and it made his blood boil. Many of them probably suspected he’d murdered his first wife, now after finding that handkerchief, they would believe that he was trying to kill his new wife too.
He could live with their suspicions, he had been living with them for two years already, but he didn’t like the idea of anyone believing that he would harm Helen.
He realised that he barely knew her, yet already she had come to mean the world to him.
***
Once away from the stable block, Helen urged Pecan to a canter and as soon as the bridle path opened out, a gallop.
She didn’t really have any idea where she was going; she didn’t know the estate that well yet but she needed the speed, needed the release that it gave her.
Her eyes began to mist with tears which mingled with the light drizzle that coated her face, becoming indistinguishable from the rain. She went far too fast for some of the paths and her hat was torn off her head by some low hanging branches. She paid it no mind.
The pins holding her hair up had been loosened and gradually her hair came loose, whipping out behind her like a flame as Pecan galloped.
She didn’t know how long she had been out until her tears finally subsided. She noticed that Pecan was sweating and slowed to a walk, loosening the reins and letting him have his head, as she patted his shoulder.
She wondered where she had ended up but couldn’t find the energy to worry that she might be lost.
When they came out of the woodland, she saw the cliff edge and knew that if she followed it, she would eventually see the house.
She kept her distance from the edge as she made her way home, letting the cold rain seep into her clothes, chilling her, numbing her.
She wasn’t paying attention to the time but as the sky began to darken, she was able to make out the hunting lodge in the distance, so she knew that she wasn’t far from home. She turned to look out to sea where the sun was setting, although it was largely hidden by the clouds.
As she turned away she spotted a figure further down, standing far too close to the cliff edge for Helen’s comfort. As she got closer, she recognised Jane.
“What are you doing out here?” Helen called, keeping her horse a good 20 feet from the edge.
Jane didn’t turn around or reply.
Helen got off Pecan and wrapped his reins around a sturdy looking bush branch, then ve
ntured closer to Jane, stopping as close to the edge as she dared, which was perhaps five feet.
“Jane, are you all right?”
Jane still didn’t move but this time she did answer. “Join me.”
Helen took another small step forward.
“What’s wrong?”
“Everything’s wrong.” She looked down, out over the edge of the cliff. “You should see the view, it’s so beautiful.”
“I can see it from here.”
“That’s not the beauty I'm talking about. You can’t see my view.”
Helen had never seen Jane act like this before.
“Please, Jane, you’re starting to worry me. Step away from the edge.”
Jane gave no sign that she’d heard.
“Jane, please. I don’t know what you’re thinking of, but this isn’t the answer.”
Jane let out a hollow laugh. “No, I know that. I just wish it were.”
“Please come away, come back to the house with me.”
Jane then seemed to deflate and her chin dropped to her chest. After what seemed an eternity, she stepped back from the edge and turned away.
“You must think me a fool,” Jane said in her usual candid manner.
“No. In pain perhaps, but not a fool.”
Jane smiled but it was weak. “You’re a good woman, Helen.”
“As are you.” She took Jane’s elbow and led her further away from the edge. She gathered Pecan’s reins and they began to walk slowly back to the house.
“Alex told me about your suspicions,” Jane said out of the blue.
Helen realised why Jane had been acting so strangely; she too might act out of character upon discovering that someone she loved had been murdered in cold blood, by someone that she knew.
“I’m sorry about Emma.”
Jane didn’t answer and Helen didn’t press, so they walked the rest of the way in silence.
By the time they neared the stables, it was completely dark and Helen had gotten so cold that she had started to shiver. Jane had thought to bring a heavy jacket, so large that it was probably a man’s, and seemingly offered her some protection from the cold and wet.
A groom took Pecan from her and they continued on to the house. Once out of the rain, Jane turned to Helen and took her shoulders.
“I’m sorry this is happening to you,” she told Helen. “Now go and sit by the fire, before you catch a chill.” Then she leaned forward, kissed her cheek and left.
Helen was too cold to think much of what Jane said and quickly headed to her room to change. The first thing she noticed was that a lovely fire was roaring in the hearth and the second, was that Alex was waiting for her, sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace.
He was on his feet the moment he saw her. “I’ve been so worried about you,” he told her as he approached. “You’re soaking wet, and freezing cold!”
“It’s raining.” She said without any enthusiasm.
Alex reached around her and closed the door, then turned the key to give them some privacy.
“Go and stand by the fire,” he ordered, then disappeared into his bedroom, returning a few moments later with a towel, a nightshirt and a robe. Helen hadn’t moved so he placed the clothes by the fire, then took her hand and pulled her closer to the fireplace. He began to undress her, drying her damp skin as he went.
Helen was completely malleable, allowing herself to be pulled around and put into any position Alex chose. She did step out of her wet clothes so Alex was reassured that’s she wasn’t completely catatonic, although he wouldn’t have blamed her if she had been.
When she was finally dried, Alex placed the nightshirt (which had been warmed by the fire) over her head, and then he wrapped her in his robe, tightening the belt.
“Better?” he asked.
Helen nodded. “Although I should be changing for dinner soon.”
“I have told the kitchen that we won’t be dining with the others.”
He noticed her shiver again, so pulled her to the bed and threw the covers back. She allowed him to tuck her in and then he abruptly left the room. Helen was too tired to wonder where he had gone but moments later he returned with a decanter and two glasses. He poured her a healthy measure of something dark amber in colour.
“That will help warm you up,” he said, handing her the glass.
Helen accepted and sat up a little to drink. She could almost feel the warm flush spread across her skin as she sipped the spirit.
“How are you?” Alex asked when she had finished the drink.
“Exhausted,” she answered honestly.
Alex smiled tenderly at her and brushed a strand of her damp hair off her cheek. “Then sleep,” he told her, kissing her forehead and stepping back.
Helen reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Please don’t leave me alone.”
“I won’t,” he assured her. “But I do need to change into something more appropriate. I’ll leave the connecting door open while I'm gone; is that all right?”
“Yes.” She let go of his hand, feeling foolish. “Yes, of course. Sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologise for,” he tried to comfort her, stepping back to the bed and kissing her once again. “I won’t be long.”
He did leave the connecting door wide open and Helen listened as he rushed around. He was back just a minute or two later, dressed in his own nightshirt. He closed and locked the connecting door after himself, then went around the bed and locked the dressing room door, before climbing in beside Helen.
She turned to him. “What’s in your hand?” she asked, having noticed that he kept his right fist closed.
“Given everything that’s happened since I got back, I had almost forgotten,” he said, opening his hand to reveal a velvet pouch. He opened the drawstring and tipped the contents into his palm.
Made of rose gold, the locket was oval in shape, about an inch tall and engraved in a filigree design on the front. He opened it and she saw that her mother’s portrait was safely nestled on the right hand side. He closed it and showed her the back, where he’d had it engraved.
‘For Helen, who shines among women.’
Helen recognised it as paraphrased from the Odyssey, ‘Helen of the light robes, shining among women.’
“It’s beautiful,” Helen said as she felt her eyes well with tears.
“I’ve upset you,” Alex sounded confused.
“No.” She placed her hand over his and looked up into his eyes. “These are tears of happiness, I assure you. I can hardly remember the last time anyone did something so lovely for me. Thank you.”
Alex leaned forward and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. When he pulled away he took the locket chain in both hands and placed it over her head.
“I thought a long chain would be more practical but I bought other lengths in case you want to shorten it.”
Helen smiled at his thoughtfulness as she looked down at the locket, where it lay between her breasts. “You are such a dear man. I don’t know what I have done to deserve you.”
“I’m the one who feels blessed.” He gathered her into his arms and lay back. “Now sleep; you’ve had a long day.”
Helen thought that it was far too early to go to bed but she really was tired, and a nap couldn’t really hurt. Plus, she would probably be in better spirits after a little sleep, so she closed her eyes and allowed oblivion to claim her.
She expected a troubled and disturbed sleep but instead, she fell into a deep and restful slumber.
Chapter Twenty One
Since they had retired so early, Alex expected Helen to sleep for a few hours but when she only stirred occasionally and went straight back to sleep, he decided against waking her.
Graves knocked on the door around 9pm and Alex managed to slip from the bed without waking Helen. He explained that they didn’t need dinner but breakfast in bed the next morning would be welcomed. Then he returned to bed and gathered Helen to him again.
&
nbsp; He couldn’t stop thinking about how to protect her, but how could you protect someone when you didn’t know who wished them harm?
Although he had very few answers to his many questions, he finally fell asleep a few hours later. He was pulled from his slumber early the following morning, when he felt Helen’s fingers tracing patterns on his chest and playing with the smattering of hair she found there.
He smiled before even opening his eyes.
“You just can’t keep your hands off me, can you?” he teased, and immediately felt the weight of her head leave his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see her smiling coyly at him.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Don’t apologise, it’s a most pleasant way to begin the day and one that I hope will be repeated for many years to come.”
Helen’s smile widened and her hand slipped lower, over his abdomen until she grasped his length, surprised to find it already hard.
“Well it seems as though someone was already awake.” She blushed.
“Yes, um, well,” he was worried that he had upset her. “It does that sometimes. In the mornings. It’s a reflex, perfectly natural, so I'm told.”
Helen kept her head bowed. “So I can expect to wake up to this every morning?” she asked in a small voice.
“Well, uh, some mornings, but don’t worry, it goes away again.”
Helen giggled and began to move her hand up and down his manhood.
“You were teasing me?” he said with evident pleasure. “From the way you blushed, I thought I’d offended you.”
“Well, I was surprised; I had been expecting to have to do a little more… work.”
Alex was pleased to note that she seemed much more her old self this morning, and he could only hope that nothing else happened to quell her spirit.
On impulse, he flipped them over so that he was on top of her, making her shriek in surprise.
“Perhaps this is a sign that I should be the one doing the work.” He gathered her hands and pinned them on either side of her head. “You just lie back and relax, darling.”
Love, Lies and Murder Page 19